1971 Ford Bronco

I had a chance to go by Elevation Motors and it was well worth the trip.  I met Michael who showed me around the Ford Bronco I was interested in and then took the time to show me a couple more that were in the works.  The advertised Bronco was a ground up restoration done by Maxlider Motors (Illinois) and retailed for $150K a few years ago.  Besides Maxlider, I have also poked around on Classic Ford Broncos (Ohio) and Velocity Restorations (Florida), all of them do restorations in the $150-$200K range.  This thing was immaculate.  The owner simply traded it in to get his new toy, a BMW M5 CS (1 of only 2 in Colorado, that I actually spotted on I-225 last week).  It was awesome and per Michael drives really well.  It has fold out steps and premium headlights.  Overall, it was exactly what I would be interested in.

He also took the time to show me a $50K and $90K Bronco.  The $50K was in good shape and came with a lot of extra parts.  It had original interior that was in good shape and a 302 motor with 10,000 miles on it.

The $90K Bronco was restored incredibly well by a builder from Nebraska.  Michael pointed out the winch and chrome tie rods.  You could definitely see where that extra $30K goes in the Maxlider.

He explained that the entry level is around $50K and the next tier is $80-$100K and then $120-$150K.  Past that it is hard to see the difference.

He recommended Hagerty for insurance.  Especially as it is not necessarily a daily driver and will more likely be out and about on nice days and car shows with mileage under 2500 per year.  He said it could be a daily driver and is smooth on the highway at 80 mph.

Finally, the market for Broncos will probably continue to climb and I could drive this for "free" essentially if I got bored with it and wanted to sell it in a few years.

1971 Ford Bronco Sport Fully Restored Freshly Rebuilt 302 Ford Automatic with OD Power Steering Front Power Disc Brakes Power Running Boards Family Style Roll Cage Front & Rear Shoulder Belts Premium Lift Kit Custom Plaid Interior New Soft Top New Stereo with Bluetooth 

$119,500

5.0L V8

Automatic

4WD

902 miles

Maxlider Motors Build - $150,000 new (3 years ago)